Confab okays Zoning of presidency, Governorship

Confab okays Zoning of presidency, Governorship

 

DELEGATES at the National Conference, yesterday, voted for rotation of Presidency between the North and South and among the six geo-political zones. The delegates, however, shot down a proposal for a single term of six years for the President.

The principle of rotation, which was also adopted among the senatorial zones in the states, the delegates resolved, should also spread to the local government level.

Confab: Cross Section of Physically Challenges Delegate at the Conference on Monday. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan
Confab: Cross Section of Physically Challenges Delegate at the Conference on Monday. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan
Delegates also, yesterday, voted unanimously for the creation of 19 new states on the basis of three per zone, including an additional state for the South East geo-political zone. They also voted for a return to the old National Anthem.

The proposed states are Orashi from the present Rivers State; New Oyo from the present Oyo State; Etiti State from the South East Geo- political zone; Savannah State from Borno; Adada from the present Enugu State; Njaba/Anim from Anambra and Imo States; Apa from Benue State; Gurara from Kaduna State; Ijebu from Ogun State; Ogoja from Cross River; Kainji; Katagum from Bauchi; Amana, Ghari from Kano, and Anioma from Delta State, among others. They were read out on the floor by the Deputy Chairman, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi. 15 states were listed, the remaining three would be announced subsequently, it was disclosed.

These resolutions were sequel to debate and consideration of the report of the Committee on Political Restructuring and Forms of Government with General Ike Nwachukwu and Mohammed Umara Kumalia as co-chairmen.

Delegates also agreed that the President and his deputy should run on a joint ticket, thereby rejecting the Committee’s recommendation that the President should pick his deputy from among members of the National Assembly after he must have won an election.

The conference also supported that the status quo should remain at the National Assembly against the committee’s recommendation of a unicameral legislature.

If a president dies in office…

The conference approved that where the president dies in office, or he is incapacitated, impeached or where he resigns, the vice president shall operate in acting capacity for a period of 90 days, during which an election to the same office would be conducted.

According to the delegates, the decision became imperative against the backdrop that each zone was expected to run the full course of the constitutionally allowed tenure without undue disruption; and it was also agreed that based on the adopted zoning formula, when a president leaves under any of the circumstances stated above, another president would be elected from the same zone where the previous one came from.

The conference also voted in favour of a Modified Presidential form of Government as recommended by the Committee which was described as home-made model of government that combines the attributes of parliamentary and presidential systems. The concept, according to the delegates, was believed to have the potentials of entrenching the principle of separation of powers as practiced in presidential system and promotion of co-operation and harmony between executive and the legislature as operated under the parliamentary system.

The President elected under the new system shall exercise full responsibility for his government and shall select ministers, not more than 18 of them, from the six geo-political zones of the country.

Minister of Finance to present FG’s Budget to NASS

It was also resolved that the Minister of Finance should replace the President in presenting the annual budget of the Federal Government to the National Assembly while the President and his ministers would appear before the National Assembly to render account of their stewardship on quarterly basis.

On local government administration, the conference also voted that states should own their own constitutions, while the functions of local governments as contained in Schedule 4 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) be transferred to the states, subject to the power of the State Houses of Assembly to add or reduce the said functions of the local governments.

The delegates also rejected the proposal for the tenure of elected local government officials to be increased to more than three years but agreed that the constitution shall fix tenure for local government councils.

Approves scrapping of joint states/LGs account

Delegates also approved the scrapping of the Joint State and Local Government Accounts; to be replaced with a State Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission. The body would be expected to have as members, representatives of local government areas and a chairman nominated by the state governor for confirmation by the state House of Assembly.

In addition to the functions conferred on the local government councils as specified in the Fourth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution as amended, a state House of Assembly may by law, confer other functions on the local government.

Henceforth, and except otherwise overturned, Conference adopted a recommendation to confer financial autonomy on State Houses of Assembly as a way of freeing them from direct control by the executive. It was also voted that for functionality, local governments should be politically and economically independent.

Earlier in his contribution, a delegate on the platform of Elder Statesmen Category and former Secretary of the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, who supported the proposal for the creation of an additional state for the South-East, however, informed delegates that those who have the view that the South-East was dashed a state should have a rethink, saying that all the states in Nigeria were dashes by the military.

According to him, it was unfortunate that the South-East was not dashed the same way others got and urged the delegates to always be their brother’s keeper. He added: “We should be our brother’s keeper, you and I know that the military dashed states to all of us and forgot to dash the South-East. So, what is wrong in the conference dashing one to Southeast.”

Also in his contribution, former Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Ghali Umar Na’ Abba, who supported the proposal for the creation of additional state for the South-East, stressed that it was done to address the imbalances in the zones, adding that the National Assembly should expedite action towards its creation to enhance the much needed reconciliation.